6mm ai coyote bullet suggestions

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jeremiah1757

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Looking at bullets for a 6mm ai to start working up a good coyote load. Looked at the 87 grain vmax but read that it's weight is not very consistent causing accuracy problems. Also looked at the 88 grain berger which I read was very accurate but might pass through leaving cripples. Anyone with experience with these please chime in. Also any others to look at. I like the bc of these and my barrel is a 8 twist so I doubt I could good much lighter in bullet weight. Thanks in advance.
 
I ran the 87vm in my 6x45 but IMO its way overkill for a coyote, but very accurate. I saw no big deal spread wise etc. on paper, just small groups. I just run the 65g vmax these days (1/10") to 700 yards on them, wind or not.
You could just weight them & sort since the .400 bc is darned great w/that bullet.
Don't believe what you read also about them, give them a work out in your rig.
 
I put together a 8 twist 243 with the intention of shooting critters from a far. Have a good 87gr vmax load, but scrapped it for the 95gr berger vld. This is my do all, kill all load in this rifle. 3/8" groups at 100. Just my way of making it easier. One load, one gun. Deer, coyotes, it won't matter!
 

I've shot the 87 Vmax out to 800yds on steel from my 243 Win, if they aren't accurate I must be one lucky dude because I've seen nothing but great groups with the 87 Vmax.
 
Originally Posted By: jeremiah1757Looking at bullets for a 6mm ai to start working up a good coyote load. Looked at the 87 grain vmax but read that it's weight is not very consistent causing accuracy problems. Also looked at the 88 grain berger which I read was very accurate but might pass through leaving cripples. Anyone with experience with these please chime in. Also any others to look at. I like the bc of these and my barrel is a 8 twist so I doubt I could good much lighter in bullet weight. Thanks in advance.

I would not worry about the 88gr Berger not killing well at 6MM AI velocitys. I suspect you will get full penetration on any broadside shot but will also get plenty of internal damage.

With your 8 twist you might consider the 105gr VLD. I have killed oddels of coyotes (out to 1000yds) with that bullet in .243 Win and it kills fine but you are going to have to sew some hides on most shots.

Nothing I know of in 6MM will reliably stay inside a coyote with a broadside shot and at 6MM AI velocity there is going to be plenty of hair in the air.
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The good news is the dogs will be on the ground fast.
 
I plan on using 70smk or 70sbk in my 6mm if I ever take it for coyotes. I wish sierra would come out with a 75gr tipped match king for the 6mm line.
 
I would avoid the 70 match king for coyotes, the Blitz king is one of the most explosive bullets in the 6mm line, bar none!

70g Nosler is excellent, 80g Sierra Blitz, and the 60g Sierra will really do a great job on coyotes, should get close to 4400 out of the 60 Sierra(Winchester 760 or H414) and 3800 out of the 80g Sierra(R#19). The 6mm AI is a very humane cartridge on coyotes. I shot the 70g Nosler at 4150 out of a 14 twist Shilen that was 26" long, groups so small you could shoot the center out of a thimble at 100 yards.

A barrel make shot some Sierra 60g at 4400 on chucks and said the chucks exploded like paint balls on a rock...not much left to eat.
 
I have shot the 65 grain v-max in my 6mm Remington and although it was a tack driver I had several instances where the bullet came apart in grass in front of my intended target. It was spectacular on terminal hits however. I have switched to using 70 grain Nosler BT. and have had great results. I also had a few splashes on coyotes with the V-max's. Have not had any with the Nosler. I would not say either of these loads are fur friendly. If they don't exit they are. If they do you will be picking up feet and ears. I shoot the 70 grain Noslers in my 6x45 and at the lower velocities this is extremely fur friendly.

drscott
 
I re-read the post and with a 1-8 twist you will probably have to go heavier. I would look at the 95 grain SST's also. I shoot this in my second 6mm I use for larger game. This bullet has given me good accuracy and I have shot several coyotes with it and it has always gotten the job done. Also has performed well on deer. I also am considering re-barreling this rifle with a 1-8 twist in a 6 AI and it will be done to shoot the heavier bullets. good luck with it.

drscott
 
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Thank all for the replies. With all the choices of 6mm bullets it is kind of a double edged sword. Lots of options but hard to pick just one. I think I will just start by picking three and go to testing. If I don't like them I will just pick three more.
 
Originally Posted By: ackleymanI would avoid the 70 match king for coyotes, the Blitz king is one of the most explosive bullets in the 6mm line, bar none!

70g Nosler is excellent, 80g Sierra Blitz, and the 60g Sierra will really do a great job on coyotes, should get close to 4400 out of the 60 Sierra(Winchester 760 or H414) and 3800 out of the 80g Sierra(R#19). The 6mm AI is a very humane cartridge on coyotes. I shot the 70g Nosler at 4150 out of a 14 twist Shilen that was 26" long, groups so small you could shoot the center out of a thimble at 100 yards.

A barrel make shot some Sierra 60g at 4400 on chucks and said the chucks exploded like paint balls on a rock...not much left to eat.

lots of folks claim the same thing however, my personal experience the noslers make a mess of things whether is 22 or 6mm and the smk, sbk do a much better job of not splashing or leaving a huge exit.

I just shoot what works, there will always be the occasional blow out with just about any bullet but for me the sierra are the best the majority of time. Another one that ive heard nothing but bad things for coyotes is the sierra 22 cal 60gr hp but again for me, I have very few blow outs with majority bang flops with zero fur damage from the 22-250.
 
Midwestpredator,

I guess "the proof is in the pudding" so I won't argue since you have the results to prove it, but with regard to the 70g SMK I was thinking about trying the bullet and talked with one of the tech guys at Sierra and he recommended against it very strongly. He said that bullet was made for punching paper and NOT made for expansion and would not have reliable mortality performance.

Just FYI. Obviously your results have been different.
 
These days I am very frustrated with trying to find a coyote bullet for my 243. Hornady discontinued the 75g HP (which was my favorite along with 40g of IMR 4064). I guess I will try the Nosler 80g BT.
 
Originally Posted By: CalCoyoteMidwestpredator,

I guess "the proof is in the pudding" so I won't argue since you have the results to prove it, but with regard to the 70g SMK I was thinking about trying the bullet and talked with one of the tech guys at Sierra and he recommended against it very strongly. He said that bullet was made for punching paper and NOT made for expansion and would not have reliable mortality performance.

Just FYI. Obviously your results have been different.






I personally have only shot a handful or so with the smk ans sbk from my 6x6.8 at 3350fps so not quite as fast as 6mm rem much less the AI. Having said that a few of my relatives have used the 70smk from 243s and 6mm rem, on countless coyotes with nothing but good things to say. Same goes for 22 cal 52smk and 69smk.

The reason sierra will not endorse them on game is because they only test the bullet performance on on paper. With match labeled bullets they only care about how they fly and are not the least concerned with how they perform once they impact. When pushed fast, the thicker jacket is your friend. You will still get expansion but way less likely for splashing on the outside.

70smk works very well on deer too. most the time they dont pass through but they dont run far and I dont like pass throughs anyway. Ruins more meat than is needed IMO.
 
Its not a 6-06 but I have a 257 wby. Overbore pushing light bullets at fast speeds. And I like Barnes bullets a lot. You won't get a splash with a tsx. And exit should be fairly small.
 
Of the poly tip bullets, Hornady, Nosler, and Sierra, the sierra Blitz kings are the most exposove. We have ran test on p. dogs for PMC ammo, and we Shot 250 straight of each.

The nosler has the thickest jacket and will penetrate the deepest.

Velocity of the individual barrel, distance to the target, caliber all play a role in how a bullet will expand. I prefer a bullet that will penetrate, quartering shots, running away shots, hits on ribs, joints, etc. I do not skin coyotes for the fur, quit that around 1984.

The 60g Sierra is a tough bullet, you will get penetration with it, and 243's and 6mm Rem's in general will usually knock a hole in a coyote.

A guy shooting a 6 AI is usually not interested in saving hides, if he is, he will soon be disappointed.

I had 60g Sierra HP in a 22/250 custom shoot holes straight through a coyote at 100 yds standing broadside. Hit him again at about 200 when he stopped, he never flinched. At about 325 he had a blood spot show up on his flank, he stopped and was licking it, I aimed for his shoulder and down he went. Maybe a 9 twist would help the bullet open up better. As for me, I would opt for another Sierra over the 60g HP on coyotes. I did shoot antelope with the 60g HP and two does, they were bang flops with the same 22/250 using a max load of IMR 4350.
 
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